Death toll from Kumamoto earthquake rises to 34; 7 killed at shopping mall

The death toll from the magnitude-7.1 earthquake that struck Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday has climbed to 34 as of Thursday afternoon.

Kumamoto Prefecture announced the updated count of 34 Thursday afternoon, according to Kyodo News and NHK. Earlier that day, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told an emergency disaster response headquarters meeting that the number of fatalities had reached 30 — up from the 28 reported by Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara at his regular morning news conference the same day.

Of the 34 confirmed dead, eight were killed at a Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro. Seven others died at Aeon Mall Kumamoto, a large shopping center where part of the building collapsed following an explosion.

A man who worked at Aeon Mall Kumamoto and escaped just before the explosion told the Yomiuri Shimbun that he had returned to retrieve his belongings about 30 minutes after evacuating customers. "There was an overwhelming smell, like something rotting," he said.

Investigators believe the explosion at Aeon Mall Kumamoto may have been caused by liquefied petroleum gas leaking from damaged pipes — possibly from air-conditioning systems or restaurant equipment — and igniting after the earthquake.

The Japanese government said extreme heat was taking a toll on both survivors awaiting rescue and the rescue workers themselves, with more than 48 hours having passed since the quake. It said it was pushing to save as many lives as possible within 72 hours of the disaster.

According to the Asahi Shimbun, firefighters with search dogs began combing through homes one by one in hard-hit areas including Yatsushiro city from Thursday morning. "We must save every life we can within 72 hours of the incident — that is when the chances of finding survivors are greatest," a National Fire Agency official deployed to the area said.

About 10,000 residents were sheltering at more than 420 evacuation centers across Kumamoto Prefecture. As of Thursday afternoon, roughly 95,000 households in areas including Uki city — where the Japan Meteorological Agency recorded a seismic intensity of 7 — remained without running water. Power outages and communication disruptions also continued.

Prime Minister Takaichi said Thursday she would establish an on-site disaster response headquarters at the Kumamoto prefectural government office to "vigorously advance emergency disaster measures." She directed each ministry to work closely with local governments through the on-site headquarters and to do everything possible to secure necessary supplies and restore infrastructure, including electricity and water.

Takaichi also flagged the growing risk of heatstroke amid the extreme heat, calling support for disaster victims "a critical phase."

dbsdn1110@heraldcorp.com